Building job-seekers’ skill for employment

Youths from all over the country turned out for the Knowledge Exchange Centre (KEC) Graduate Advancement Programme Network (GAP). The programme helped job seeking youths to build skills that employers need, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

Victor Ehirim is recycling solid wastes into beautiful works of art. A graduate of Political Science, University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, he is transforming waste into household furniture.

He was among the lucky candidates who received an offer to undergo training under Knowledge Exchange Centre (KEC) Graduate Advancement Programme Network (GAP)in Lagos.

Having suffered rejections after interviews, he decided to participate in a six-week employability skills offered by KEC in Lagos. During the training, he discovered interest in creating wealth   from waste. He started with nothing. He makes creative household and office furniture from solid waste products such as tyres. He was part of 15 graduates of KEC’s GAP.

As a scalable programme, GAP has proven to be effective for reaching trainees within the 21to 35 age range, including university graduates.

At the core of the programme are transferable skills such as English language and Information Communication Technology (ICT), as well as workplace competencies in growing demand among employers, such as problem solving, team work, and customer service.

Speaking during the graduation ceremony, the Executive Secretary, KEC, Ms. Maria Glover, said the centre is a non–profit organisation established to tackle employability issues among fresh university graduates in Nigeria.

Through its various training programmes and activities, she said KEC bridges the skills gap in the labour market by providing training programmes focused on employability, entrepreneurship, leadership, Internships and many other areas intended to prepare them for work, business and the future.

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According to her, Ehirim was initially trained on employability skills.  She explained that the centre now has to encourage him with the skills he has shown in turning waste into products.

She said close to 750 youths have completed the centres’ employability skills training programmes, leading to job placements.

According to her, partner companies were required to provide training attachments for unemployed graduates under GAPN.

She advised more companies to support the programme so that they can contribute to the society and see how they can help graduates earn a living while being independent, improving their livelihood and economy of their families.

GAP, she said, was implemented as a talent market ability programme that assists unemployed graduates to increase their chances of employment by enhancing their soft skills, knowledge and technical capabilities.

The programme, according to her, is done in collaboration with private companies.

She advised graduates seeking jobs to come out of their comfort zones to increase their employability.

For Miss Nwando Okafor, a  microbiology graduate from Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State,  one of the ladies who completed the programme, GAP provided a “push and positive thinking” that helped them overcome the lack of professional skills  and values that limit their ability to pursue work.

Another graduate, Miss Oluwabunmilayo Awosusi, said the programme solidified her self-confidence and is going open many new job opportunities for them.

Martins Godwin, a civil engineering graduate of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi said empowering young people with employability skills strengthens their capacity to explore job opportunities.

The project officer, KEC, Mr. Aghogho Akporido, said the  training  helps the  participants  to build self-confidence and motivated them to set goals, plan, and believe that they  can achieve whatever they  aspire to do and become.

KEC is a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative of the XL Africa Group Limited.